Power Rangers: Final Strike
by MysteryWriter99
Summary: Requested by BellaVision. AU. Dulcea has chosen Kim to be her Pink Ranger but now Kim must gather up all Rangers from MMPR-PRDT. After getting visions of the future from Dulcea, can Kim and the others save Earth from Ivan & his monsters? R&R please! C:
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Well, this is my third new story and it was requested by ****BellaVision****. So, I hope she approves of it!**

**As always, please review- these make me smile **

_Disclaimer: Okay, okay! I'll confess! I don't own Power Rangers, they belong to Saban once again (and Amen to that!)_

Kimberly awoke with a jolt. Leaning across she flicked on her bedside light. She ran a hand through her brown hair. It was that same dream. The same dream for weeks on end. The same dream which left her sweating when she woke up. She shivered and threw off the covers. Kim wouldn't exactly describe the dream as a fully blown nightmare; there were some parts of it that made her want to smile and laugh with pure elation. But it was the unnerving clarity of the events that made her wake up panting for breath with fear. Shaking her head, she padded across to the bathroom and splashed some icy water on her face.

"It's nothing, you're worrying too much." Kim muttered to herself as she stared in the mirror. She smiled wryly. Her time as a Power Ranger had made her nervy and quick to assume the worst of things. Shaking her head she tensed as she saw something flash by the window. Her senses now amplified, Kimberly started making her way slowly out of her bathroom. She looked around. Nothing. There was absolutely nothing. Nervous, Kim was about to call Tommy when she was suddenly teleported away in a haze of pink light. A few moments later and Kim arrived on a strange sort of old monument, ruins of what once must have been a magnificent temple. "What the...?" Kim mumbled. Then she turned and spotted a woman making her way towards her. The woman had long wild hair and was dressed in very little (to Kimberly's shock), wearing nothing more than some kind of a top which barely covered her and a short skirt. They were both made of the same strange green fabric and the top was a halter neck, secured by several long green straps around the woman's neck, twisting down to make a short sleeve. The stranger also had a long staff in one hand and wore a headband as well, securing her untameable golden hair from her face. On her feet the anonymous woman wore green boots that appeared to be made from leather. Immediately Kimberly was ready in a fighting stance.

"Do not worry Kimberly." The unfamiliar woman said, raising her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I'm not here to harm you. My name is Dulcea and I need your help." The stranger, Dulcea, said in an urgent tone. Kim relaxed slightly.

"How can I know you're telling the truth?" She questioned. Dulcea smiled simply.

"You've been having dreams lately, strange dreams. Am I correct?" She asked Kim. The girl nodded, astounded. "If you place your trust in me I can explain everything, but I need your trust." Dulcea informed Kim. Sighing, Kimberly nodded. Dulcea turned and Kimberly followed her to sit on the edge of the plateau, staring out across the landscape. It was breathtaking, with huge mountains and endless jungles. A beach could be seen, peppered with jagged rocks and cliff tops were also apparent. The sky was shot through with lilac and gold, the sun sinking low behind the mountains as it vanished beneath the horizon.

"Where are we?" Kim breathed.

"This is Phaedos, a place of great power." Dulcea explained, gesturing to the area around them. "But, I need your help. The dreams you have been suffering from are not dreams." She told Kimberly.

"Then what are they?" She asked, confused.

"I sent those dreams to you as a forewarning. Those events are to happen soon unless you help to stop them, Kimberly. I have seen that you are a pure spirit and a true heart. I have chosen you to wield the powers of the Pink Crane Ninjetti." Dulcea told Kimberly. The gymnast nodded. There was a long silence, Kim staring numbly out into the distance.

"That's...wow." She muttered.

"Are you alright?" Dulcea checked, concerned. Kim nodded.

"It's just...a lot to take in." Kim explained to the other woman. Another period of silence stretched out until Kimberly spoke again. "So, where do I get these 'powers' from?" She asked Dulcea. The woman smiled and they stood, going to the edge of the ruins and staring out over the jungle. Kim followed, looking out along with Dulcea.

"You must seek the Great Power." She instructed the girl. Looking out at this view Kim saw the rolling landscapes of yet more jungle and a large stone pillar rising from the earth. "We are stood in the ancient ruins of the Ninjetti temple. You must travel beyond the Nyala jungle you see before you to the Monilith. It is heavily guarded and you must be wary, Kimberly. Inside the Monilith is the power of the universe." She told Kimberly, staring out. "I have chosen you to complete this task Kimberly. But be warned, no one has ever survived an attempt to enter it, and it is fiercely protected against intruders. However, I believe you are capable of this task." Dulcea reassured the teenager. Kim shook her head, brown hair bouncing around her face.

"If the others knew what was going on..." She breathed. Then she looked up, startled. "The others! They'll know I'm missing by now!" She cried out in realisation.

"Calm yourself, Kimberly. I have entrusted a task to Ninjor, an ancient spirit of the Ninjetti, to explain your absence to your friends." Dulcea informed Kimberly, resting a placating hand on the girl's shoulder.

"What will he tell them?" Kim asked.

"He will send a letter- supposedly written by you- to explain to Tommy that you do not love him anymore and that you have met someone else."Dulcea told her calmly.

"What! But I _do_ love Tommy!" Kim protested.

"I know. But he has Ranger duties and he cannot be distracted by searching for you. Not only that but this way he has no reason to question your lack of contact and he will have no reason to contact you either." Dulcea reasoned. Kim turned away, furious that someone would do that to her. "Listen, Kimberly, I am sorry that this meant the end of your relationship with Tommy. However, it is for the best."

"How can you say that!" Kim demanded, whirling round. To Dulcea's surprise, there were tears glistening in the girl's eyes. "How can you say it's for the best when I lost the only person I want to be with? And I didn't even have a choice in the matter!" She added angrily.

"Like I said, I am sorry. But, once you retrieve your new powers, you will have a chance to return to Tommy." Dulcea promised.

"You promise?" Kim questioned after a beat of silence. Dulcea nodded, her eyes relaying the sincerity of her earlier statement.

"I promise you."

"Alright then," Kim decided, brushing stray tears away. "I'll do it." She added. Dulcea beamed at her.

"Excellent." She murmured. Stepping away from the edge, Dulcea crossed over to a small plinth. "I will invoke the powers of the Ninjetti to help you on your quest." She informed Kimberly. "We will wait until nightfall." She told the girl before looking her straight in the eye. "Then, your true journey will begin." She added. Kim looked out at her destination again. She swallowed hard.

"_This is going to be tough."_ She thought to herself, perching on the edge of the ruins once more. _"But if it means I will be reunited with Tommy...then I have to."_ She realised. Her determination solidified as she stumbled upon this realisation. _"I won't lose you Tommy. I promise."_

**And there we have it! It is a short first chapter but it ****is**** part of a long opening! Bear in mind this IS a 70 Chapter fic (as per request!) **

**As always, review and let me know. I'll look forward to reading what you have to say!**

**JJ ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, chapter 2 of this story! I hope you like it and please review! Talking of reviewing I would also like to say a big thank you to everyone who reviewed the story last time! And now, for the story!**

_Disclaimer: *tied to a chair* I do not own Power Rangers and I make no money from this. *Looks at Saban/BVE* Happy now? *They nod* Good...now untie me!_

On with the tale!

Darkness had finally fallen across the ruins and Kim was shivering in her thin nightie. She had to admit, however, that the scene was rather beautiful. The sky was clear and was a right indigo that bordered on black with stars cast across it in their thousand, each one watching from high above the planet. The moon was a thin crescent and no wider than a mouse's whisker, but the brilliant moonbeams shone down and cast over the ancient temple. Kim shivered again and shifted closer to the fire that Dulcea had lit.

"_I seriously hope she gets me decent clothes...otherwise her 'chosen one' will have frozen her butt off before the adventure's begun." _Kim thought as she huddled nearer the flames, grateful for their warmth. Her gaze drifted over to the woman. She was stood at some kind of pedestal and gathering a glittering powder from it. She turned back to the fire, powder in hand, and Kim stood. Dulcea smiled and blew the powder over the fire. At once, the flickering light of the flames billowed upwards as Kimberly closed her eyes and opened her arms instinctively, allowing the feeling of power and sensation of peace to sweep through her. Her skin tingled and crawled as electric currents coursed through her veins. Finally, everything stopped and Kim opened her eyes. She felt warmer and looked in awe at what had happened. She was now dressed in some kind of ninja outfit (in a shade of pink identical to her old Ranger costume, she noted with interest) and was much warmer. The outfit was loose yet it seemed to protect her from the cold. She looked to Dulcea.

"Now, you're ready." The woman stated softly. "Kimberly, you are as swift and agile as the Crane. Allow its spirit to guide you in your quest." Dulcea advised. Kim nodded, accepting the wisdom gladly before looking out over the darkened forest. "Rest." Dulcea recommended. "You must begin your journey tomorrow." She explained. Kim sighed. She was eager to finish her mission so she could return to Tommy and sort out the mess Dulcea had made of her relationship but rationality and logic soon took hold and she accepted the protector of Phaedos' words without too much fuss (although she couldn't keep the disgruntled look off her face).

"Alright then," Kim whispered as she settled down in her ninja outfit. As sleep overcame her, Kim's dreams were those pondering her old life and hopeful that the future would be better than the one Dulcea had shown her.

The next morning Kimberly awoke early. Stretching, she stood up by the now dead fire and walked over to the edge of the ruins. The sun was just rising over the horizon and the sky was filled with pink clouds against a pastel blue sky. The jungle stretched out before her and Kim felt her nerves rise in her throat, stomach twisting into knots at the prospect of going through that dense wilderness.

"_I wonder what Ninjor would say..." _She pondered. Then she frowned. _"Wait a second...Dulcea said she had Ninjor write that letter!"_ Kim registered suddenly. Before she'd been too shocked to actually think about who'd sent the letter. _"I swear to God if I saw him right now..."_ She thought angrily before calming herself. _"No time to think about that now. I've got to be ready to go on this quest. I have to save the future, and get back to Tommy."_ She thought determinedly.

"You're awake." Dulcea greeted, striding up to meet Kim. Brown hair flying, Kim nodded her greeting.

"So, can I go on my quest now?" She asked eagerly. Dulcea held up a hand for patience and Kimberly couldn't help but put her hands on her hips in annoyance.

"I have a message for you." She said before a ghostly apparition of Ninjor appeared. "Ninjor, this is Kimberly Ann Hart. I've chosen her to be my Pink Crane Ninjetti." Dulcea introduced, clearly oblivious that the two already knew each other. "Kim, this is Ninjor, the-"

"Person who created the Power coins, I know." Kim finished. Dulcea looked surprised. "We've met." Kim explained and understanding blossomed across the wise woman's features. Kim turned to Ninjor. "Why did you send Tommy that letter?" She demanded.

"The other rangers can't have their lives disrupted by your absence Kim." Ninjor's spirit told her in his familiar voice. "Dulcea needs you on Phaedos and the others must continue protecting the Earth. I can contact Tommy and explain the true reason to him, if you really wish for me to." He offered. Kim bit her lip. The offer was awfully tempting, but the true hero within her won out eventually.

"No," She declined. "I-I couldn't be so selfish when the world needs them to be focused." She stated slowly, blinking back tears of regret. "I guess I'll have to wait to make amends." She mused sadly.

"Anyway," Ninjor continued, making Kimberly raise her eyes to look at the floating image. "I came to wish you good luck, and to tell you that the other Rangers and I will always be with you, in your heart." Ninjor promised. Kimberly smiled and the image faded away to nothing. A hand was placed on her shoulder and Kim looked around to stare at Dulcea, peering into her blue eyes.

"It is time." The woman whispered. Kim nodded and pulled her face mask over her mouth and nose, obscuring her face.

"Let's do this." She muttered, voice muffled greatly by the cloth. Dulcea led her down and away from the ruins of the Ninjetti temple and down towards the jungle.

"This is where I leave you Kim." Dulcea said regretfully. "But I have the strongest faith that you will succeed. I believe in you Kimberly." She promised. Kim took a deep breath before she nodded her acquiescence and started out into the thick jungle. Dulcea watched the pink clad teenager until she could no longer see the small girl for the thick wilderness that she had forged through on the beginning of her journey. "And so with the rising sun, the quest commences." Dulcea murmured to herself. "Good luck Kimberly, for the universe's sake I hope you succeed in this." She muttered before Dulcea slowly turned back around and headed back to the temple of the Ninjetti as Kimberly started out into parts unknown, beginning her search for the Great Power residing inside the Monilith.

**Well, I have finally posted chapter two. These chapters are a lot shorter than what I'm used to writing but I hope you like the plot so far. **

**Please review, these brighten up my day and I really appreciate them. **

**JJ :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Chapter 3 people. Before I go any further I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and alerted this story. So, in no particular order, thanks to:**

**Genna**

**brankel1**

**oldtvlover**

**Madame Petrova (by the way, you spelt Mighty Morphin' right; it just doesn't have a 'g' on the end of Morphin'!)**

**andyg2525**

**kimmieboo**

**XRanger13**

**bookluver10145679**

**Dunk234**

**Sailor Navy Ranger**

**dimonyo-anghel**

**fireandice1986**

**hewhoreaps**

**pinkcheer**

**Shievi**

**storyteller1333**

**zookster**

**And, of course, to the wonderful Bella Vision, without whom this story would never have been written. So, to all of you wonderful wonderful people, thank you for sticking with this story! This one is for all of you!**

**And now, chapter 3!**

Kimberly pushed past another plant with a frustrated sigh. She _hated_ this. She hated the heat of the jungle, the little creepy crawlies that scuttled across the floor, and the constant fear of something coming to get her through the jungle. The sun was rising fast and its heat made her swelter in her pink Ninjetti suit. She'd removed her mask and now just had her hair pinned back with a pink band that came with her new costume. Stumbling over a root, she jumped with a startled yelp as she heard a bird call break through the stillness of the early morning. She scowled in annoyance, reminded of why she hated the wilderness. She sighed in defeat.

"I wish the guys were here." She mumbled. The thought of the others made her heart twist painfully as she thought of Tommy. Her determination returned tenfold as she pushed through more foliage. As she walked, she found herself in some weird kind of place where bones lay scattered all around. Skulls, random long bones, huge ones, small ones, they all lay strewn around. "Now I _really_ wish the guys were here." She muttered, nervous. She couldn't help but smile though as she approached a huge old dinosaur skull. "Billy would have loved to have seen this." She stated as she peered through the empty eye socket. Then Kimberly laughed and shook her head, walking off. "Talking to yourself, first sign of madness." She mumbled. As she peered into the eyes of another skull, a noise behind her made Kim freeze with a frown. Apprehensively, she looked behind her. As her gaze slowly travelled up, the creaking she'd heard got louder. Suddenly, a large bony tail was raised high above her head. It hurtled towards her as she threw herself away from it with a yelp. Glancing around, she noticed the skeleton of a dinosaur come to life, the jaw of the enormous skull letting loose with a roar as it swung its head around to try and catch a glimpse of her.

"_Looks like you weren't talking to yourself- but you might be mad anyway."_ Kim thought absently as she rolled away from the bizarre and deadly thing before her. The dinosaur clambered to its skeletal feet and roared again. _"No, the giant dead dino is really up and walking. Why does all the freaky stuff happen to me?"_ She lamented as she staggered backwards.

"Nice dino," She placated, walking backwards slowly. "Good dinosaur, friendly dinosaur." She said nervously. Then it roared angrily again and pawed the ground, head bowed so its horns were ready to skewer her. "Or not." She muttered as it charged. A scream escaped her lips as she turned heel and fled. She dived aside, absorbing the impact with a nicely timed forward roll, and hid inside the ribcage of another deceased dinosaur. She just prayed this one would stay dead. The huge triceratops tried to gouge her with its horn, backing her further into a corner. "Come on Kim, think!" She muttered panicked. "If you don't, I doubt Dulcea will ever have any Rangers, never mind save the planet!" She scolded. "Come on," She squeaked as the horn came perilously close.

"_What would Tommy do?" _She asked herself. _"He'd most likely find its weak spot...Its weak spot!" _She realised. _"It's a flipping skeleton. If I find the right bone..."_ Kimberly thought excitedly. Hurriedly she escaped through the slots of the ribs and ran back the way she'd came, putting distance between her and the huge and deadly threat. Then she spotted it- the tiny bone connecting the head to the body. Summoning all the courage that made her a fearsome Ranger, Kim ran straight for the monster, dived through its legs as it was distracted, and ran up a tree. Kimberly then used the tree to flip herself onto its back...only to find herself on its tail. She yelled as it flung her into the air. With a thud, she landed on its bony back, hard. Wincing, Kim held on for dear life as she was tossed around. _"The guys better be grateful for this!" _She thought with irritation as she tugged on the bone. It was wedged in place. She clung on as she was unseated by the unhappy dinosaur, which roared and shook its head, trying to rid itself of the pest lodged on its spine. She let out a cry of triumph as she pulled the bone free. Then the whole skeletal form of the undead dino fell apart, sending her tumbling to the floor. She winced as her sore butt grew more painful.

"I deserve a flipping medal for going through that alone." She muttered in pain as she brushed herself down. "Dulcea wasn't kidding when she said this place was protected." Kim realised grimly. Sighing, she checked for any more dirt and, ignoring the throbbing pain spreading through several parts of her body, she continued on her quest. Shaking her head, she pushed through more jungle and wondered how all her friends were doing. As she walked she contemplated how long she'd been here. Did time move differently on these two worlds? If so, how long had she been away from Earth already? Did anyone miss her? Or would they just move on and forget her? After the letter that Ninjor sent, she wouldn't blame them if they did. Her dark and gloomy thoughts plagued her until she reached another little dirt path, like the one which she'd discovered that lead to her date with a deadly dinosaur. Needless to say, after the first experience a path like that had led to, she was more than a little wary. Walking stealthily forwards, she found herself approaching a strange looking wall with stone statues on it. She looked up. The stone structure she'd found stretched up and up, seemingly endless. "This is the Monolith? Huh, doesn't seem too well..." She trailed off as the statues sprang to life. "Guarded." She finished. Kim felt fear rise when she noticed the..._things_ had really big weapons, but she quelled it, keeping her cool. She couldn't afford to lose it this close to succeeding in her quest. She took a deep breath, backing off as the guards advanced. An idea struck her. "Ninjetti!" She cried. At once her hood was up and her mask was in place. "The Crane!" She declared proudly. The monsters advanced.

"_Here we go again." _She thought, before her next battle began.

**Well, there we go! Hope you all enjoyed the latest instalment. I now have a proper schedule for updates so you will be getting them on a regular and steady basis...unless life throws me a complete and utter curveball which separates me from the internet *Gasp*. As always, let me know what you think in the reviews. They make me happy :D**

**Glad to be back,**

**JJ ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay, I'm on schedule! There's a first! As it is the holidays this week (God bless half term eh?) I might go off schedule just a little but that does mean extra updates so stay tuned for that! **

**Before I go on I have to mention the fantastic array of people who are supporting this story. These include everyone mentioned in the previous AN for chapter 3 (seriously, those guys are AWESOME *sends hugs and cyber cookies*) Along with:**

**jareaufan**

**genbo (Genna's official channel :D)**

**And, the final part of my AN (I heard your sighs of relief) is a very, very, **_**very**_** special shout out to my awesome best friend on here BellaVision. She gets a mention every time but she was the reason this whole fanfic got started and I have to thank her for her endless patience. Without her, and all of you out there who took the time to favourite, review, alert me, or simply just read the story, this would never get made. So, thanks a million.**

**And finally, chapter 4! Enjoy the adventure ;)**

Kim backed up steadily as the first of the guards attacked. She parried its blows and threw in a few of her own. However, it was as hard as rock and nothing she did made the slightest impact on her opponent. Grunting with effort, Kimberly gave up attacking it and instead thought of a different plan. With a good kick, she sent the guard staggering backwards before turning on her heel, intent on running up the nearby craggy ledge. As she turned around, a large spiked ball came whizzing towards her head. She ducked and rolled forwards as another guard advanced on her.

"I really wish I'd stayed in bed." She complained as she turned and made for the ledge as originally planned. She slipped and stumbled on the crumbling rock, allowing the whole platoon of guards to regain their senses and begin hunting her down again. One was following her and it jabbed its sword near her. It missed her leg by millimetres. Finally, she found a little nook to hide in and feigned a different direction before hiding. Sure enough the creature fell for it and continued onwards across the ledge, a feral snarl lodged on its features. A strange part of Kimberly's mind noted how they looked not dissimilar to wolves in their appearance but she pushed her errant thought aside and waited for the nasty creature to lumber past with its very large, very pointy weapon. Once it was far enough away Kim darted out and proceeded to kick it in the back, sending it toppling off the edge to the ground below with a loud and wild roar of anger. It was soon silenced as it ended up lying still on the floor, dead. She smirked and moved to change positions as she was confronted with a large sword. Instinct kicked in and she backflipped away. The creatures fumbled a moment when she ran and did a handspring, flipping over them all and sprinting to the ground. "So, you guys are strong and not that smart? Huh, guess jocks exist everywhere then." She mumbled through her mask. As they lumbered down, Kim hatched a plan. The guards relied on brute strength to win, but they were obviously not very fast, or particularly smart either. A rather sharp instrument was jabbed in her direction and she kicked it away. "Okay, this is so not my way to spend the day." She grumbled. The creatures had now reached the ground again and were slowly advancing. Not bothering to wait any longer, Kim jumped headlong into the fray.

"_If I die here, I swear to god I'm coming back from to haunt Dulcea."_ She thought in annoyance. She dropped to the ground and rolled away as one guard swung its weapon at her. An idea burst into her brain and Kim made a move to escape, smirking as two guard followed her. She stood completely still in between the two. Glancing up, she noticed a large branch sticking out from the rock face. Perfect. Kimberly waited until the last possible second to move as the two guards drew their arms back to deliver the killer blow. When they began to move towards her, Kim leapt up and grabbed the branch, watching from above as the guards destroyed each other. She winced.

"Ouch, that's gotta hurt." She muttered, flipping up so she was stood upright. She surveyed the scene below. Three down, two to go¹. The remaining guards prowled the area, waiting for her. She looked around, scanning the nearby surroundings for ideas. She grinned fiendishly. A nearby lake presented itself to her. Above, Kim spotted a vine hanging down. The ideal thing at the moment. She grabbed the thick rope like plant and waited until one of the ugly brutes was near to the waters before she leapt off her hiding spot with a fierce cry. Planting both her feet firmly in the monster's chest, Kim kicked it hard, sending it staggering back into the waters. She watched in horrified fascinations as the waters frothed and bubbled, melting away the ancient, rock-like warrior. She winced- that seemed painful. Excruciatingly so. But Kim didn't have time to worry or lament for the..._thing's_ death as the remaining guardian of the Monolith roared with fury. Raising its weapon- an extremely large and deadly looking axe- it attacked, swinging wildly. Kim barely had time to dodge each potentially fatal blow. Finally, she was backed up next to the clearly dangerous waters. "Not good." She muttered in fear. Rolling to the side, fear encompassed her for a brief moment while she ran to safety. Scrambling up a nearby tree, she took a deep breath, calming herself as the monster growled below. "Ninjetti corkscrew kick!" She cried out, leaping from her perch and executing the move perfectly. Her fierce blow sent the final monster careering backwards, flying through the air as it flailed its arms desperately. No sooner did it make contact with the large rock wall, it exploded into pieces, shattering on impact. Kim's eyes went wide- did those things ever die like you'd expect them to? She guessed not, considering they were originally part of a rock wall, she conceded.

As Kimberly stood there, out of breath, she hoped nothing new would occur. It seems the fates weren't smiling on her however, as apropos of nothing; the ground began trembling beneath her feet. Kim panicked as this started up, the tremors almost knocking her feet out from under her as she tried to keep her balance on the trembling earth, wondering if the earthquake was a sign of another thing coming to try and kill her again. The sky began to grow dark as everything shook and juddered around her. Kim's fears started to seem justified as shadows stretched across everything, creeping across the land and covering all she could see. Even the protection of her Ninjetti costume or thoughts of Tommy didn't provide any comfort as all became dark and foreboding. To make matters worse, the ground was still shaking. Then Kimberly's eyes went wide as the heavy rock slab in front of her slowly lifted skywards, exposing a bright slit of daylight to her eyes. She stared as the ground quaked, watching the stone move upwards. Behind it, smoke poured out and a pale eerie white light blossomed outwards, making her stare and pull her mask down. As the stone finally moved completely out of view, a large stone structure could be seen. It was in the shape of a pyramid, with a slight dip before another angular protrusion continued up, tapering off into a sharp point. On the front was a large circular plaque. It was carved into the shapes of numerous animals- hers being the central and the largest one there. She had to admit, the craftsmanship was impressive. Unthinkingly, Kim stepped towards it with curiosity and awe shining in her brown eyes. 

"I did it." She breathed. "The Great Power- I found it!" She gasped, a smile making its way onto her face, lighting up her features. In that moment she would have given anything to see the others, but she didn't allow that thought to dampen her feelings of pride and accomplishment. She examined the plaque a bit more with keen interest. "The sacred animals..." She trailed off in astonishment when the stone carvings began glowing with an intense golden light. Suddenly, glowing spirits burst forth from the carving, flying into the air. Kim stared in amazement at the impressive display; there were so many animal spirits, it was unbelievable. As she stared, her eyes alighted on one particular spirit- the crane. It flew up to her and circled her body before it joined and plunged into the golden emblem on her chest. Kim forgot momentarily about the other spirits as she felt her body merge with her animal spirit. Before she could really register what had happened, Kimberly found herself in her Ranger suit once again. She smiled in delight beneath her visor. Only one thing ran through her mind as she stood and celebrated her achievement and success in her mission:

"_I'm going home."_

**And that is where we will leave it for today! :D**

**As always, thanks to anyone who has reviewed already (I'd have mentioned you all again, but the AN would have been so long you'd be bored to tears C;) and, as per usual, leave a review to let me know what you thought!**

**I'll be back in at least 3 weeks, possibly sooner!**

**Until then, **

**JJ C:**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: And here we are, another chapter for all you wonderful people out there! As per usual, I'd like to thank the people who favourite, author alert, story alert and review this story. This is my baby right now and your support gives me that boost to get a chapter finished. I would also like to welcome ****Nananshi Renshou**** and ****BlueRedPinkRanger**** to my little fold of amazing supporters. You and all previously mentioned people on my list of adoration are very welcome here.**

_Disclaimer:__Saban/Disney own everything, all I own is the plot and a tub of Ben and Jerry's to help me get through the terrible thing we call writer's block._

**And now, enjoy chapter number 5!**

Kim watched in awe as all of the remaining animal spirits flew and circled around her before all converging onto one spot. She gasped in astonishment as, with each animal to join the glowing golden hoard, the sparkling and pure gold energy being emitted from the spot grew brighter. It got so bright Kimberly was forced to shield her eyes, despite her visor. After a few moments, the light suddenly exploded outwards. She felt shockwaves ripple through the air until suddenly, everything was quiet. Turning and looking back, Kim's eyes wet wide beneath her helmet as she noticed all of the animal spirits seemed to have melded together to form an amulet. Gingerly, she padded across the forest floor and picked up the glowing pendant. It was large and circular in shape, only just fitting into her tiny hand. The amulet was made of some kind of amber, the jewel like substance glowing in her palm as she studied it. It gave off a faint, eerie golden glow and, within her mind; she heard the calls of the animal spirits reaching out to her. Carved into the gem were the images of each individual animal. They were so detailed, it amazed even Kim the extraordinary things that magic of this nature could achieve. Finding a fabric cord that the heavy amulet was attached to, Kimberly put it around her neck, feeling the weight of the pendant warm and heavy against her chest.

"Well, this is an interesting fashion choice." She mumbled to herself. As she stood around, unsure of how to proceed, the familiar voice of Dulcea rang through her mind.

"Use your powers to fly back here, my Crane. I have much to explain to you." She commanded.

"But Tommy..." Kim protested.

"I will explain everything. But first you need to return." Dulcea responded patiently. Kim was irritated beyond belief. She'd slaved away through searing heat, trekking across an unknown world through a terrain she thoroughly detested. She'd fought monsters and she'd been attacked by a pile of old bones for this so called 'Great Power' only to be told she still couldn't return home. Livid, she started running back through the wilderness, utterly peeved and intending to give Dulcea a piece of her mind.

Upon arrival back at the ruins Kim stormed up to the other woman, her furious face concealed by her helmet. Dulcea had her back to her, staring out impassively over the landscape of Phaedos as she waited for Kimberly to return. Kim stamped her foot in anger and marched up to Dulcea, standing right behind her. Kim cleared her throat loudly. Dulcea didn't even blink in response. Angered at being ignored she grabbed the other woman and forcibly turned her round.

"Now, look here-!" Kim began, enraged, as she prodded the native in the chest.

"I can understand your anger, but please listen to me first." Dulcea bargained.

"Why should I? I've done everything you've asked of me, despite the fact you sent a letter to break my boyfriend and I apart, and just when I want to go home and put everything right you tell me that I have to stay here and that I can't return? Why should I even care what you have to say?" Kimberly demanded.

"Because what I say could change the fate of your planet." Dulcea deadpanned, her normally warm blue eyes now set with a steely determination. Kim's words died in her throat. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to find a rebuttal for Dulcea's words. In the end she just stamped her foot in annoyance, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Go on then." Kim finally allowed. Dulcea bowed her head, golden hair aglow in the evening light.

"Thank you." She said gratefully. Kim motioned with her hand for her mentor to continue. Dulcea moved past the Pink Ranger, turning and stopping a few feet away. "Although you now have the Great Power in your possession, you need to be taught of what you are now able to do. Your Ninjetti powers coupled with your new Ranger abilities have given you new talents you probably have no idea exist." Dulcea explained. Her eyes locked with Kim's beneath her visor. "I need you to stay so I can teach you how to use your powers to their fullest, and so you can teach the others how to use their powers when they receive them." Dulcea informed the teenager.

"So, I can't leave until I master these skills?" Kimberly checked in a glum voice.

"You _can_, but by doing so you are putting the Earth at serious risk." Dulcea corrected. She stepped forwards and placed a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "I know this isn't easy for you. But sometimes the right path is not always the easiest one."

"Isn't that a Disney quote?" Kim asked. Dulcea looked puzzled.

"Disney?" She repeated. "What is this Disney?" She asked.

"It's, well, er, never mind." Kim waved it off. "In that case, I'll stay for the training. But, just promise me that I'll return home at some point." She begged.

"My Crane, you have my word." Dulcea assured the teenager. Kimberly smiled gratefully beneath the helmet. "Now, let's begin." Dulcea whispered excitedly.

Over the next couple of weeks Kim felt herself being stretched to the limit. Along with mastering her Ninjetti skills she had to learn to concentrate on freeing her inner Crane when she wanted, learn to control her heightened abilities and, as well, learn to use new weapons to their fullest potential. Each day she trained was filled with errors and natural talent, failures and successes. Eventually, after a long and intense time, she was finally ready to return. Upon the time where she was allowed to go back to Earth, Dulcea approached Kimberly and handed her the amulet containing all of the other animal spirits.

"Kimberly, I am extremely proud of you. You have taken to your new role as Earth's protector with the sense and grace as I knew you would. But now you must return to Earth. Take the amulet and seek out all the other rangers who will embody the other spirits." She commanded gently, a smile on her face. The teenager frowned.

"But, there are so many spirits...surely my friends can't be all of them!" Kim argued.

"No. They are only a few. Once you return to Earth the pendant will guide you to all of the other rangers whom they are destined to be with." She explained.

"Okay then...I just hope that this quest hasn't completely destroyed my relationship with Tommy." She thought in return.

"Kimberly, before you leave, there is something I should warn you of before you return." Dulcea admitted. "The time spans between these two worlds are incredibly different. For you it will feel like you have only been here for a few weeks, perhaps a month at the very most." Dulcea told the teenager. "However, back on Earth I can tell you that years have passed." She regretfully admitted. "By this point many ranger teams have come and gone. I am sorry that I couldn't tell you this earlier."

"It's okay. I needed to focus on my training, something like this would have distracted me." She reassured her mentor. "What will happen to me when I get back to Earth?" She asked.

"Ivan Ooze is still waiting to be released. That day will come soon indeed once you have arrived. When you go back your body and mind will age until you are at the correct age again but then you will have to seek out the others who will be needed to fight against Ivan. You and another will lead them into battle." Dulcea explained. Kim nodded.

"I'm ready." She assured the protector of Phaedos. Dulcea nodded.

"Then go. Go and protect Earth." She stated proudly. Kimberly nodded again as she slipped the amulet over her neck before reaching for her belt.

"I'm coming Tommy." She mumbled. "Just don't lose faith in me quite yet." She whispered before she teleported away in a haze of pink light, returning to the planet she called home.

**Wow, that chapter was longer than expected! **

**As always, a huge thank you to all my wonderful supporters. I can't express enough how much you all mean to me! Like normal, leave a review so I know what you think and I'll be back in three weeks with the next upload.**

**JJ :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I know, I know, I suck at updating! I've been caught in a whirlwind of reality and missed my deadline last week, sorry! So, to everyone out there who was disappointed by the missed deadline I send a thousand apologies your way and hope that this extra long chapter will make up for it.**

**Now, my idiocy and bad time keeping skills aside, I also have to give a shout out to some new people who have joined us all on this fanfic journey. So, I have to say a big hello and welcome to the following people:**

**hewhoreaps**

**Suhahm**

**Aqua Sweetie 1994**

**SwifteForeverAndAlways**

**Time Force Red**

**itstotallygraphic**

**BellaPevensie96**

**blue moon**

**Tenderroni**

**So, welcome to all of you and welcome back everyone who has been reviewing, favouriting and alerting beforehand. For a full list of their names in all their awesome glory check back to chapter 3 because if I put everyone in this AN (as much as I'd like to) you'd have a novel by the end. Also, a big thank you to BellaVision who is helping me get through this too. To all of you, and to those who are just reading the story as well, you are the reason I am writing this so thank you, thank you, **_**thank you**_**. And now, as promised, an extra long chapter to make up for my tardiness. Chapter 6, enjoy!**

Kimberly teleported down to Earth in a column of pink light, landing uncomfortably on the ground. She groaned in annoyance but picked herself up. She wobbled a bit as she adjusted to her new height. Her hand clamped to her head as the world swirled around her before coming into focus. She shook her head and looked about. Yep, she was back in Angel Grove. A smile graced her lips as she noticed the point where she and Tommy had shared their first ever kiss. The phantom feeling of his lips ghosted over hers and she shivered with excitement at seeing him again, even if it was under slightly foreboding circumstances. Her eyes narrowed as she looked around.

"_Now, just need to see how long I've been away..."_ she mused, walking off from where she'd landed. Strolling into the centre of town, Kim looked around. She was surprised by how much had stayed the same; it was like the whole town had been frozen in time awaiting her return. She grinned as she walked down the same streets she had done only a few weeks ago, in her mind. Kim firmly ignored the strange looks people were giving her as she walked through her old home town. Experimentally, she grabbed her hair and pulled it in front of her face. To her surprise, it was much longer than she expected it to be. Instead of its familiar cut just above her shoulders, her caramel locks were now a good few inches past her shoulder, reaching just below her chest. Tossing the offending hair back over her shoulder, a large grin split apart her face as she spotted Ernie's Juice Bar. Quickening her pace, she pushed open the door to the building and stepped inside. Kimberly closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, drinking in the familiar smell she hadn't realised she'd missed. Walking over to the counter, she looked around expectantly. Looking around the bar, Kim frowned when she couldn't spot anyone she recognised. No Tommy, no Rocky, nobody. Then, she forced down a sigh of relief when she finally spotted someone that she did recognise, though she couldn't quite mask her disappointment.

"Ernie!" She greeted happily. The familiar owner of the bar turned and smiled warmly at his returning customer.

"Kim!" He replied jovially. "It's been a while since I saw you in here. What can I get you?" He asked cheerily. "On the house!" he added with a grin.

"Strawberry smoothie, please." She requested. With a salute, Ernie turned and made the drink as Kim scanned the room, her uncomfortably long legs perched awkwardly on the bar stool. Her brown eyes softened when she spotted the old beam she used to practice on, near the gym equipment where the guys always used to work out. Ernie placing her drink on the counter knocked her back to reality as she smiled gratefully. "Thanks Ernie." She said appreciatively.

"No problem." He assured her. "Anyway, how are things down in Florida?" He asked politely, curious but not overly pushy. Kim shrugged as she sipped her drink.

"They're...going." She decided.

"I'll be honest Kim; I didn't think I'd ever see you back here." Ernie confessed, picking up an empty glass and wiping it down. "After all, what with that new guy in your life and everything..." He went on. Kim looked confused.

"New guy?" She repeated. Ernie raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"Yeah, you know, the guy you met at the Pan Globals. The one you broke up with Tommy over..." Ernie said warily. Kimberly then realised what he was talking about. A nervous laugh erupted from her throat.

"Oh! You mean _that_ new guy!" She exclaimed awkwardly, a tinge of panic colouring her voice. She shook her head and waved a dismissive hand. "We broke it off, I realised soon enough that it wasn't working out." She downplayed. "However," Kim once again looked around. "Speaking of Tommy, where is he? And where are the guys for that matter?" She added, turning back to Ernie in confusion. Her heart thumped in her chest as she awaited his reply. What Kimberly hadn't been expecting was the pitying look Ernie sent her way.

"You really _have_ been out of touch with everyone, huh?" He noted, putting down the now cleaned glass and picking up a new one. "Kim, everyone left. You know, got on with their lives. I know that Tommy stuck around here for a while before he vanished too, Jerome told me about how he used to still come by the juice bar whilst I left. I think Jason even came back at one point." He recalled.

"You left?" Kim asked, surprised. Ernie nodded until Kimberly thought of something else. "Wait a second, who's Jerome?" She questioned.

"You'd know him as Lieutenant Stone. He took over the Juice Bar for a while when I decided to retire." Ernie paused in his cleaning to give her a cheeky smile. "But then I got bored of sitting around doing nothing so I came back." He told the girl who grinned back.

"Wow, I guess things have changed since I last showed my face here..." Kim muttered, taking a long slurp of her drink. "But, where did the guys all go?" Kim asked again. Ernie shrugged.

"I wish I could help you Kim, but it's been a _long_ time since any of them showed up in Angel Grove. I mean, it's been 10 years, things are bound to have changed since then..." Ernie considered reasonably, turning away to put some more smoothie glasses away and missing Kim's horrified expression.

"10 years?" She breathed to herself. "No, that's-that's impossible..." She mumbled quietly, refusing to believe that so much time had passed since she'd been on Phaedos. "Dulcea wouldn't do that, she just _wouldn't_!" Kim whispered to herself.

"Something wrong Kimberly?" Ernie asked, noticing the girl's shocked expression. Kim shook herself out of her daze and plastered on a smile.

"Nope! Everything's just-just fine." She promised as she downed the last of her pink drink quickly. "Listen, Ernie, it's been really great talking to you again- you have no idea how great- but I really should be going. Thanks for the drink." She said hurriedly, looking around for any money she might have had. Luckily, Ernie held up a hand.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I said it was on the house, and I meant it." He reminded Kimberly firmly. She beamed at him gratefully.

"Thanks Ernie." She said warmly, reaching over the bar and hugging him tightly. "Anyway, I've got to go. I'll stay in touch!" She promised, already rushing for the door.

"Bye Kim!" He called out in return but the door was already swinging shut. Ernie sighed and shook his head with a fond smile, going back to work as he chuckled at Kimberly's reappearance in Angel Grove.

Meanwhile, outside, Kim rushed to a nearby paper stall and hastily grabbed the first thing she saw. Picking up the newspaper she scanned across the front page until she came across the thing she was after. There it was, glaring up at her in black and white. The date: April 5th 2005. It had indeed been 10 years since she'd last been on Earth. 10 years since her friends had last had contact with her. And 10 years since Tommy had received the break up letter that was supposedly from her. Kim's hands shook in anger and sorrow as she dropped the paper and shakily walked over to a bench, flopping down onto the seat and putting her head in her hands.

"No..." She moaned in despair. "This-this can't be happening." She muttered. "It _can't_ be. Dulcea promised I'd be able to get back with Tommy, she _promised_!" Kim whispered. "How the hell will that ever happen now?" She wondered in sadness. Her sorrow quickly gave way to anger at the thought of what Dulcea had done. "It's her fault." Kim growled. "It's all her fault!" She screamed in the air. Standing in fury, she glared up at the sky. "You hear me? This is all your fault!" Kim yelled at the empty sky. "You promised me, you made a promise!" She continued. "But it was all _lies_!" She screeched in rage. Just then, a familiar voice made its way into her mind.

"_Kimberly..."_ Dulcea's calm tones rang through her head.

"_Don't." _Kim hissed in her brain. _"Don't you dare say anything!"_ She growled. _"You __**lied**__ to me!"_

"_I told you time passed differently between Phaedos and Earth. You said you were prepared for that."_ Dulcea reminded Kimberly impassively. At these words, Kim's anger grew. She briefly debated if she could punch Dulcea out of her head, but decided against the awfully tempting idea. Though she couldn't help but let her hand curl into a fist.

"_That is no excuse!" _Kim roared in her mind. _"You told me I could fix my relationship with Tommy! How is that not a lie now?" _She demanded furiously.

"_You can still fix things." _Dulcea insisted.

"_Oh sure, I can fix things after I sent him a coldhearted letter and then left him high and dry with no explanation for 10 flipping __**years**__!" _Kim exclaimed sarcastically. She shook her head. _"I've had enough of this." _She decided. _"Find someone else to be your 'Chosen One' because, frankly, this has gone one step too far for me." _Kim decided.

"_**Kimberly**__!" _Dulcea roared. The loud noise caused the now young woman to jerk to a stop in surprise. For as long as she'd known Dulcea- which was admittedly not very long at all- the elder woman had never raised her voice once. The fact she'd shouted was enough to make Kimberly stunned. Dulcea sighed in Kim's head. _"You are right. I should have warned you exactly how long you had been absent for. It was my mistake and I apologise. However," _She continued before Kim could interrupt. _"After all that you have done, are you really going to sacrifice everything? All the things you have given up, and you're willing to let it all go?"_ Kim winced at the harsh truth of Dulcea's words. Then, the final nail was blasted into her coffin. _"Are you really willing to let Ivan Ooze win and destroy Earth?"_ Dulcea questioned, disappointment obvious. Kimberly looked down at the necklace she was wearing around her neck, the spirits of the animals calling out to her still. As she stared at the pendant, Kim found her answer.

"_No."_ She decided at last. _"I'm not willing to let all of that happen." _She agreed. Approval radiated from Dulcea. _"Fine, I'll go through with it. But know this Dulcea, you can claim remorse as much as you want, but it doesn't mean I will listen. You have done something I'll never forgive, ever."_ Kim stated firmly, her will like iron on the matter. _"You have caused me to lose the only man I'll ever love. That is inexcusable." _Kim declared in her mind. Acknowledgement seeped through the metal link. Satisfied, Kim started walking.

"Now," She muttered to herself. "Where to find the other Rangers..." She mused. Acting on impulse, she touched the pendant. "Show me the Falcon." She whispered. At once, the pendant warmed beneath her fingers and the shrieking cry of the falcon was heard. Behind her eyelids images flickered through her vision. A highschool, not Angel Grove but a different one, four students she didn't recognise...a house deep in the woods...then she was back at the highschool, a metal sign above the gates showing her where she needed to go. With a gasp she withdrew her hand from the pendant as it slowly cooled down again. Grinning, she ran to the nearest train station. Upon arrival, she raced over to the nearest ticket booth, panting as she slammed her hands on the counter much to the shock of the worker behind the glass. (1)

"C-Can I help miss?" The young woman- her badge proclaiming her to be Tina- asked nervously. Kim smiled.

"How quickly can you get me to Reefside?" She asked with a grin plastered over her face.

**1- I have no idea how buying train tickets works in America, if someone does know then PM me and I'll change it straight away, that's a promise.**

**Anyway, other than that I hope you liked the extra long chapter and I'll be sure to stick to my schedule for next time. So, I will hopefully see you all in three weeks on the 22****nd**** of April at the latest! **

**Until then,**

**JJ x**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I know, I'm late but, long story short, my laptop crashed and I've been without it for a good few days. Luckily, none of the work was lost but I thought I owed you guys and explanation. Still, here's the chapter **

**On to the wonderful people who are still with me and supporting this story. For the new people who've just joined, welcome. For the returning readers- welcome back! I love you all equally and, we now have some more people to welcome into the group and list of amazingness who've favourited, alerted and reviewed this story. These people are:**

**Mika the dark Princess**

**Spidey2**

**pepergirl001**

**to all of you fantastic and wonderful people, thank you for your time to do those things and to those who didn't and just (hopefully) enjoy reading the story, thank you for taking the time to bother and read it! Also, at the end of this story there will be an entire chapter dedicated to all those who have been kind enough to review, favourite or alert this story so please keep the support coming as it brightens my day up and encourages me to get some more done!**

**And now my gushing is done for this chapter, on with the story!**

Kim's journey to Reefside was nervous and filled with trepidation. On the train carrying her over she fidgeted constantly, fretting over how Tommy would react to her sudden reappearance. Although still angry over the surprise amount of time she'd been away, Kimberly had reflected that she couldn't do anything about it and had resigned herself to the fact she'd missed those years of her life. Still, she worried over how he'd receive her. Unbidden, thoughts of the evil Green Ranger flashed through her head but she firmly quelled them, strong in her belief that he'd never be like that towards her. But her worries persisted all the same. Would he have missed her? Would there be someone else in his life? Was he married? Did he have kids? All of those things were possible and each question left Kimberly far more rattled than before, so much so that she yelped when the tannoy system announced they'd reached her destination. Hopping off the train, she looked around for a bit, then swallowed hard and walked out of the train station. As she stepped out onto the street, Kim quickly realised with a sinking sensation that she had no means of getting around, or surviving at all. After all, she'd been in her teens when she left for Phaedos- what kind of money would she have to be able to look after herself?

"_Dulcea!"_ Kim thought desperately. _"How the __**hell**__ am I supposed to find him when I don't have any money, or anything at all?" _She panicked, still sending accusing waves towards the woman. Her mentor chuckled lightly through their link.

"_Kimberly, my Crane, did you really think we'd leave you with nothing?" _She chided gently. _"Now, in the inside pocket of your jacket you'll find a wallet with a few notes and a couple of cards. Head over to an ATM machine and you'll see we've set up a savings account with more than enough money for you until you get a job." _Dulcea placated Kim. Curious, she pulled open the white jacket she was wearing and, sure enough, there was a little zipped up pocket on the left hand side. Opening it, she retrieved a black wallet and hurriedly jogged over to an ATM. On her way Kim passed by a shop window and paused to examine her reflection, interested to know how she'd aged. Her hair was indeed longer than before though to Kim's relief she'd retained her caramel colouring. As expected she was much taller than before and she'd filled out a bit compared to her skinnier teenage form. She was wearing a long sleeved white jacket with white trainers, a pink vest top and some ordinary denim blue jeans. Smiling, she had to admit that she looked good. Moving swiftly onwards, Kim reached the ATM and slipped her debit card into the awaiting slot. The screen processed the details before it popped up asking for her pin. Kim froze for a second before Dulcea's laughter rang through her mind and the other woman reeled off the numbers with ease. After she completed that step, Kim opted to draw out $200 to be safe before she walked off, placing the money in her wallet and glanced about before going over to a group of four people who she felt inexplicably drawn to. There was a boy in red soccer gear, another young man except he wore black trousers and a white shirt and a third was wearing a blue shirt and had on jeans. The fourth member of the group seemed to be the only girl and she wore a stylish combination of yellow and black, black skinny jeans encasing her legs. On her feet were black and white converse with yellow laces. Kim jogged across to them.

"Excuse me, this may sound weird, but do any of you know the way to Reefside High School?" She enquired politely. The girl looked confused, but stood up.

"Sure, it's a good way down the street and then to your left." She said, pointing in the right direction. Then she looked Kimberly up and down. "Why do you want to know? If you don't mind me asking." The young girl replied curiously. Kim floundered for a second before a logical answer floated into her head.

"I'm dropping by to see an old friend."

"Cool!" The boy in red exclaimed. "Who is it? We might know them." He said cheerily. To Kimberly's amusement, the other three all rolled their eyes simultaneously at the boy in red. "What?" He asked indignantly.

"It's okay." Kim reassured them. "I'm here to see a guy called Tommy Oliver, but you've probably never met him so it's alright." Kim waved it off. Before the others could stop him, the boy in red jumped to his feet.

"Oddly enough, we do know him!" The young boy exclaimed. "He was our m-" the boy started until the girl elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "I mean, he was our science teacher in high school." The boy wheezed. Then he straightened and smiled at Kim. "I could take you round to his house if you like." He offered. Kim raised an eyebrow.

"If he's your science teacher how did you know how to get to his house?" She asked warily. The four teenagers exchanged panicked glances and, to Kim's surprise, she noticed how her pendant was growing a bit warmer again.

"Well, Conner here," The girl began, dropping her hand onto the red-clad boy's shoulder "Was failing in science so Dr. O offered to give him private tuition as well as in lessons. I ended up going to his house because I heard he did martial arts and I wanted to ask him if he was willing to give lessons." The girl said.

"Yeah and when Kira let slip she was thinking of asking Dr. O about it, I helped out and found his home address." One of the other boys stood up, the one in blue, and walked up to the others along with the boy in white.

"And when Trent came to town we thought it would be a good thing for us all to do together so we all ended up going over to Dr. O's house for our martial arts lessons whilst Conner was tutored." The girl, Kira, finished.

"And that's the _whole_ story?" Kim asked sceptically. The quartet before her shared another quick glance before nodding all together. "Alright then," Kim smiled, clearly disbelieving but letting the subject drop. "And, Conner?" She checked, looking to the boy in red who peered at her questioningly. "I would really appreciate it if you would take me." Kim admitted with a smile. The teenage boy smiled.

"In that case, right this way." He offered, proffering his arm. Kim rolled her eyes in good humour and raised an eyebrow, which prompted him to drop his arm but lead the way. Soon afterwards, the five of them were piled in his red sports car and were speeding down the highway. Kimberly, Kira and the boy in white were crammed into the backseat and Conner and the final member of the group sat in the front. Kira turned to Kimberly with a frown.

"By the way, what's your name?" Kira asked curiously. "It's just, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before." She confessed. Kim's eyebrows shot into her hairline.

"I sincerely doubt it." Kim assured her confidently. "By the way, my name's Kimberly." She introduced herself belatedly before laughing. "Though I suppose it's a bit late for introductions." She commented with a laugh.

"Don't worry about it. I'm Kira." Kira formally introduced herself and the two shook hands.

"I'm Trent, pleased to meet you." The boy in white told Kim from underneath where Kira was perched on his lap.

"And my name's Ethan- charmed to know you." The dark skinned boy in the front informed Kimberly who smiled and replied that she was also charmed to have met such a polite boy, which caused the others to laugh and Ethan's ears to burn pink.

"And that dolt over in the driver's seat is Conner." Kira finished to Conner's indignation and everyone else's amusement.

"I'm not that bad!" Conner protested, not taking his eyes off the road.

"You thought that the Amazon River was in Egypt Conner." Ethan deadpanned as the car roared with laughter, even Kim was chuckling at the blunder.

"Well, they both have big rivers in them…" Conner defended feebly. Saving the soccer player from more embarrassment, the car abruptly turned off down a side track and started rumbling down a thin forest road surrounded by trees. Kim laughed softly to herself as they neared Tommy's house.

"Figures he'd end up living in a place like this." She muttered.

"What?" Kira asked.

"Oh, nothing." Kim replied vaguely. Kira frowned again but didn't pursue matters, instead asking a different question.

"So, how do you know Dr. O?" She asked Kim. All four teenagers waited with eagerness for the answer, interested to know more about the strange woman who knew their former team mate. Kira's eyes went wider as Kim smiled softly to herself and stared out of the car at the passing trees.

"Oh, Tommy and I go way back." She said quietly. Each of the others wrinkled their noses at the use of their teacher's first name. "We knew each other in high school, we were good friends too, then I moved to Florida and after that we, well, we just lost touch." Kim explained to them all. Kira nodded but stared at the older woman who was smiling sadly down into her lap she still felt like she'd seen her before somewhere. And after the incident with Blake, she had never really doubted her instincts afterwards. She was unable to try and pry out any more secrets from Kimberly however when Conner's car jerked to a halt.

"Well, this is your stop." Conner announced before laughing. "I wish I could see Dr. O's face when he sees you!" He exclaimed. Kim smiled as she hopped out of the car. Before leaving she turned and rested her arms on the door.

"Thank you for the lift, I really appreciate it." She said sincerely to the others who smiled. Then Kimberly turned around and, with a deep breath, she began walking to the front door of the house. As she strode off the roar of an engine let her know the teens had vanished again and suddenly Kimberly felt a cold sensation through her top. Looking down she saw her pendant had a faint gold light that was slowly retreating back. Sighing, she stepped up to the doorstep and rapped on the door quickly before she could change her mind and run. Kim's heart pounded in her chest as footsteps headed towards the door and it abruptly swung inwards. The two adults stared at each other for a moment in shock.

"K-Kim?" Tommy asked, unable to believe that after all that time she was stood on his doorstep. Kim's words got caught in her throat as she stared at her ex-boyfriend. As her eyes raked his form she could only think of one thing to say to him.

"You cut your hair!" She blurted out without thinking. At Tommy's expression, Kim felt a sinking sensation in her stomach again. For someone indescribable reason, she felt that she'd just made things a lot harder on herself than necessary.

**And I'll leave it there! Anyway, I hope you don't mind this being two days late but please review and let me know what you think about it! **

**I've decided not to update on a totally fixed schedule anymore as every time I say I will something comes along to stop me. Plus I have GCSEs coming up so that might hinder the uploads. But I'll try to get another chapter out once every three weeks, but it might be a little varied now. Still, I love all of you guys and hope you'll bear with me until exams are over and done with and then I'll have all of summer to upload for you guys :D**

**As always, thank you again for all you do to support me. I can't say enough about how much it means to me, so thanks again!**

**Until the next upload,**

**JJ x**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello! Hello, hello, hello! Sorry for such a long absence- has it really been over 2 months since I updated?- but over with me I've been bogged down with a long period of exams. And then, as if the torture wasn't bad enough, I was also clever enough to come down with a virus. Overall, it hasn't been a great couple of months. But, now I'm back and I have a new chapter ready and waiting for you all. **

**As always, I have a few extra people I want to extend my thanks to. So, thank you to anyone who's reviewed, favourited or alerted before now and kept up with the story (despite my flaky and random update schedule) along with some new people who I want to give personal shout outs to:**

**Greaser Angel**

**Jimmyle311**

**SalamancaMapleTreeHiddle- awesome name by the way!**

**luvbooks22**

**ryuakuma**

**obsessiveicequeen**

**For all other individual shout outs, scroll through the other chapters to find more amazing and wonderful people. (these shout outs range from chapter 3 and onwards, but I'll put a long list at the end of the story)**

**And now I've got my explanations out of the way- enjoy chapter 8!**

Kim flushed red as the words escaped her whilst Tommy stood staring at the woman who'd walked out of his life a good 10 years ago and, without thinking, abruptly slammed the door in her face. Stunned at the sudden and harsh reaction, Kimberly didn't even move for a good few minutes, staring blankly at the wood in front of her. On the other side, Tommy had braced himself against the door, his face flushed with embarrassment. Why had he reacted like that? Why? Shaking her head to bring herself out of her stupor, Kim knocked on the door again, this time more tentatively.

"Tommy?" She called out hesitantly, wary of another unpredictable reaction. Tommy closed his eyes and huffed out a deep breath. Pushing away off the door he turned to face it again. He'd taken down evil alien monsters and creepy mutated dinosaurs before then, he could face Kim. He was a mature, responsible and rational adult. Or so he told himself. Swallowing hard, he slowly pulled open the door again. Kim's face greeted him again and he fought back the urge to either scream at her or to run as far away from her as was possible. She smiled a bit. "Hi." She greeted him apprehensively.

"Hey." He muttered before awkward silence descended. Kim's gaze fell and she looked down at her shoes, Tommy staring off to the side.

"Do-do you mind if I come in?" She asked him nervously, biting down on her lip as she let her eyes dart up to meet his briefly before flitting away again. Inside, Kim felt the tiny flame of hope inside her flicker and waver a touch. She'd never been awkward with Tommy before. They'd both been shy on occasion, sure, but never awkward. Still, she mused inwardly, 10 years apart changed people. Even if to her it had only been a few months. Tommy ran a hand through his short cropped hair, a movement Kim's eyes were instantly glued to.

"Sure," He finally managed to speak after another long silence. "Er, come on in." He offered, turning and walking away. The sound of the door creaking shut and footsteps following him let him know Kim was only a few paces behind as he led her into the living room. She peered with interest at the various dinosaur skeletons and artefacts that littered his home on the journey to the sitting room. Once she'd sat down, another tense silence presented itself, with neither occupant of the room willing to break it.

"So…" Kim spoke up after a while, only for her vocal chords to promptly decide to go on strike.

"So…" Tommy also said, waiting for Kim to offer some sort of start to a conversation. He didn't trust himself to broach any topics, far too aware of how easy it would be to lash out at her. But, alas, she said nothing. More silence ensued. Eventually, Tommy had had enough of the quiet. "Look, Kim, I'm sorry, but what the hell are you doing here?" He asked in bewilderment. Kimberly sighed wearily.

"Do you mind if I take my jacket off? It's a little warm for my liking." She asked, evading the initial question. Tommy simply nodded as she slipped the offending garment from her shoulders, placing it neatly in her lap. When he stared at her, Kim bit her lip and averted her gaze, a movement that irked Tommy somewhat.

"Well?" He prompted. "Are you going to tell me why after 10 _years_ of absolutely no contact you decide to turn up on my doorstep with no explanation before proceeding to sit in my living room and still say absolutely nothing?" He demanded, his voice icy cool and sharp as his rage began to bubble and froth. Kim felt her heart clench in dread as she picked up on the barely suppressed fury in his voice, almost hidden but not quite. "Well, Kim?" He snapped. She cringed visibly.

"Tommy," Kimberly began in a small voice. "It's a long, long story. You wouldn't believe what has happened to me." She spoke dismally. Her hand longed to hold his, a deep ache in her very being. Kim reached forwards only to have Tommy visible jerk away. She pulled her hand back, hurt before running her fingers through her hair. "Tommy, the world's in terrible danger." She finally admitted. The man sat before her simply quirked an eyebrow.

"If you're referring to Mesagog, then I can safely assure you that he's been dealt wi…" He trailed off as Kim shook her head emphatically.

"No, I don't mean him, whoever he is." She replied. Tommy felt confusion at her response, the emotion rising above his anger slightly. The evil dinosaur had been plastered all over the news, surely even in Florida some word would have reached her? Tommy just added it to the mystery that surrounded Kimberly Hart. At this thought he forced down a smile that tugged at his mouth, ensuring his face maintained a neutral expression. He waited for her to continue. She fidgeted but carried on anyway. "There's a creature called Ivan Ooze, someone Zordon sealed away thousands of years ago. But, he's going to break free and try to destroy Earth." Kimberly explained worriedly, finally meeting his eyes and Tommy saw honest fear shining in them.

"Kim…how do you know all of this?" He questioned her.

"That doesn't matter." She replied quickly, brushing past the question. "What does matter is that our ninja powers can be restored and," She swallowed hard but ploughed on. "Tommy, I need you to become a ranger again." She confessed finally. To Tommy, it was obvious this was the point of her visit now, the thing she'd been working up to. A stunned silence filled the air between them.

"…No." Tommy finally said, pushing himself up out of his chair. "No, I can't."

"But, Tommy," Kim protested, swivelling to keep track of him as he stalked over to the window. "Please, the world needs you. I need you…" She pleaded. His back stiffened and she instantly regretted her words as he spun on his heel, eyes blazing with rage.

"You need me?" He repeated. "You _need _me?" He shouted it the second time. He laughed harshly. "Oh, that's rich Kim, real funny." He spoke without humour. "What happened to that time all those years ago then, eh? What happened when _I _needed _you_, Kimberly? Where were you then?" He demanded. "Wait, I know, off with some other random bloke you met in Florida!" He spat, disgusted. Kimberly felt tears prickle in her eyes but Tommy carried on regardless, his rage bursting its banks and overpowering his rational mind. "And you know what? After we split up I waited, Kim. I waited for an explanation. And you never even gave me that! Even now, 10 years later and I still have no idea why the hell you dumped me!"

"Tommy…" Kim whispered but another cold laugh silenced her as he began pacing, a hand raking through the short spikes of his dark hair.

"I have to admit though Kim, you really know how to break a guy's heart. Sending that letter to the Juice Bar was a stroke of genius- everyone found out about it." Tommy clapped mockingly. "I bet you and your new beau were laughing about it- me, humiliated and broken hearted." He sneered. "You probably don't even care how hopeless I felt." He hissed. At those words, Kim stood, defiance in her eyes.

"Don't." She snapped in retaliation. Tears were streaking down her face now, but she didn't care. "Don't you dare suggest that I didn't care about you. Not ever! Despite what you may think, _Thomas_, I have _always _cared about you!" She shouted back at him.

"Really? Well you have a damn funny way of showing it!" He roared back. Kim's own defensiveness now started to kick into gear.

"You know what? Fine! Be mad at me!" She shrieked. "But for the love of God Tommy, don't let our personal mess come into this situation! This is the safety of the _world_ we're talking about here!" She reminded him. "If you continue being a stubborn pig headed jerk like you are being right now, then you're putting hundreds of innocent lives at risk!" She yelled. The thought dampened his anger somewhat, and Kim stood there, panting with her eyes blazing. "Could you really do that?" She challenged. "Could you really let people die, just because you hold a grudge against me?" Kimberly questioned him. Her heart was in her throat as she awaited his answer.

"_This is it." _She thought. _"If he says no, then we're down a Ranger, and that could mean the difference between winning and losing against Ivan Ooze…"_ She fretted inwardly.

"You're right." Tommy finally admitted. "I couldn't do that." He agreed. A breath of relief whooshed out from Kim's lungs as her shoulders visibly sagged, tension draining from her body as she removed the pendant from around her neck.

"Thank you." She whispered thickly. Tommy just swallowed hard, his eyes cold and angry before nodding swiftly. As if the pendant recognised what had just transpired, it started heating up in her hands. The golden glow began to surround it, lighting up the room as the falcon burst forth in spectacular fashion, its cry sounding through the air whilst light exploded all around. Its wings outstretched the falcon flew towards Tommy, passing through his chest and its cry sounding loud and clear as his body was consumed with a golden light. Kim shielded her eyes as the light faded along with the sound of the falcon. Tommy was still stood there, however he was now back in his old white costume, staring at his arms and hands in fascination. Kimberly's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't see his expression behind his visor as he looked at her.

"Brings back memories, huh?" He asked. She swallowed convulsively and nodded, unable to talk around the lump that had formed in her throat. Tommy powered down and he was back in his black clothes. His glare was hard and Kim felt a small part of her die inside. "Don't think I did this for you." He snapped. "I did it because I'm not going to let anyone take over this planet. And if it means working with the likes of you…" He tilted his chin. "So be it." He muttered.

"Aren't you going to even give me a chance to explain?" Kim asked softly.

"You've had 10 years to come and explain. You don't deserve a chance after this long." He told her.

"Tommy…It isn't what you think." She tried again, to make him listen to her. She knew now he was hurting badly, and he was reacting with anger to hide the pain. Pain she'd created. She knew it must be horrible, a deep, unfathomable, unbearable pain that had been allowed to fester for years and years. Or at least, she hoped that was the reason behind his rage. Even if it wasn't, she knew she needed to work if she wanted him back, if she wanted to break down his walls and get him to talk to her again. A quiet determination started to slowly fill her.

"Save it, I'm not interested any more Kimberly." He said harshly before blowing out a breath. "So, what now?" He asked.

"Now…we go find the others, the ones who have spirit animals, and get them to help us." Kim deduced, feeling the pendant hum in agreement. Tommy nodded. Acting on impulse, Kimberly spoke up again. "Tommy…I'd like you to help me lead everyone." She announced abruptly. Tommy's eyebrows shot up into his hairline and she blushed crimson at the sudden outburst. "It's just…we're going to have tons of Rangers on this team and, well, since you were the best Ranger that I knew it seems appropriate that you, well, er, help me lead the team. If that's okay with you?" She asked nervously, her entire face far too warm and flushed. Tommy was also embarrassed at the praise, his cheeks stained crimson despite the animosity he currently felt towards his ex-girlfriend.

"Kimberly…I'm not sure…" Then he saw the pleading look in her eyes and sighed. "Alright then, but again, this is for the team, not you." He warned her. She looked crestfallen but nodded in resignation. She looked up a few moments later. "Wait here, I'm going to go get changed." He told her. She nodded and seated herself on the couch again. "Kimberly,"

"Kim," She interrupted him. "Please, call me Kim." She requested.

"Kim," He tried again. "Whatever happens on this mission, there are two things you need to know. One, we're nothing more than work colleagues and two, when this is over I never want to hear from you again." He warned her. Again, determination flared up inside of Kimberly.

"Why won't you let me explain?" She questioned.

"Because, like I said before, I waited years for an explanation. One that never came. Now…Now you don't have the right anymore." He murmured. Inwardly, he felt that deep hurt claw at his chest again but forced it down. "You didn't care back then." He accused.

"I always cared." She disagreed. He shook his head but didn't reply.

"I'm getting changed. After that, we can start looking for the other Rangers." He decided. Kim nodded her acquiescence. He turned around and made to move away until Kim's voice stopped him.

"By the way, Tommy?" She called out. He paused, waiting. "I love the new hair." She told him. A crimson blush stained his cheeks as he then fled the room.

**And there we go! I hope you liked the chapter and I should get another out at some point! Leave a review; let me know what you think of it, and as always, thanks for reading!**

**JJ x**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Right, well, here's chapter 9 of the story! After I wrote chapter 8 I had so many ideas buzzing around in my head I just couldn't leave the story alone so I just HAD to write another chapter! By the way, if anyone is interested, I will also soon be writing 2 new stories, one Power Ranger story and, for a change, a PoTC story too! Anyway, enough of the other stories and onto the more important things, like this story! I hope you enjoy it!**

**As always, a great big thank you to everyone who has bothered to review, favourite or alert this story or even just bothered enough to read it and stay with it! Also, a big thank you to the new people who've been kind enough to either review, favourite or alert and these people are:**

**Ashes Mercy Tantrum**

**cranelove **

**Ruon jian**

**gundam1**

**ReadTilUDie**

**Guest**

**And to everyone who bothered to click on this story and read through. Quick final warning, Tommy swears once in this, so if you don't like swear words, er, miss that bit out! :D Other than that, enjoy.**

Tommy bolted up to his bedroom and slammed the door shut. His whole face had turned red and he was willing to bet that downstairs Kim was laughing at his outrageous reaction. Dragging a hand over his face, Tommy groaned loudly before pulling off his top and his shirt, rifling through the drawers for something white. Whilst he'd kept a cool and calm, albeit very harsh, disposition around Kim, inside he was a total mess. He had no idea how to react around her. She still made his insides squirm and his heart beat faster, even after all their time apart. Sitting down on the bed, he buried his head in his hands, moaning in pure despair. He'd been a total fool down there, he knew it deep down. Somewhere deep within his heart Tommy knew he should have let her explain, should have let Kim have her say and tell him the reasons behind her breaking up with him. But he hadn't. And now he was expected to lead a new team of Power Rangers into a battle alongside her. Yes, he'd well and truly backed himself into a corner. And now he was going to pay the price. Yet, as he sat there alone Tommy promised himself that, no matter what, he'd never forgive Kimberly. No. Whilst there was that tiny part of his heart, the deepest and most true part, was wracked with guilt at the way he'd treated her, the larger part was still brimming with hurt and a fiery anger that surprised even Tommy. The pain, that deep agonizing pain that came hand in hand with heartbreak, manifested into rage so intense he struggled not to go downstairs again and forcibly throw Kimberly from his house. Of course, soon after these thoughts entered his head a wave of guilt would wash over him before the rage would resurface. With a heavy heart he sighed and pulled out an old shirt he'd found nestled at the bottom of his draw he hastily pulled it on. Looking at himself in the mirror he decided his trousers were fine as they were- after all, he wasn't out to impress anyone- before glancing at the door reluctantly.

"Now or never…" He muttered under his breath. Like a man condemned, Tommy glanced once more at his mirror, straightened the shirt once more before exiting. Walking as if to the gallows he entered the living room again and saw Kim frowning, staring at what looked like thin air with an expression of immense concentration plastered across her features. As he stared, Tommy couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she was. He shook his head to clear that thought. He hated her, he _hated _her…didn't he? Tommy instantly dismissed his doubts. Of course he hated her- she'd dumped him for no reason before disappearing for 10 years with no explanation whatsoever. She'd broken his heart and he had no intention to let it happen again. His resolution once more firmly back in place Tommy once again resigned himself to his fate and cleared his throat loudly to get her attention, schooling his face into an icy, emotionless mask. She looked up sharply, her cheeks flushing pink in embarrassment, before she stood, still silent. Tentatively, Kimberly took a step towards him. A deep part of Tommy wondered how it had come to this; two people once so comfortable with each other were now acting as if they were total strangers. He supposed, in a way, they were. 10 years meant a lot of change, how much did they really know each other anymore? He ended his introspection as Kim began speaking.

"So…I think I know where we ought to go next." She confessed. Tommy forced himself not to shout her down and instead just raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?" He said, making a silent request for her to continue. He watched her swallow before carrying on.

"Yes…there were some kids who brought me here. Conner, Kira, Ethan and Trent." She listed. Tommy's eyebrows flew up into his hairline. His new Ranger team had already met Kimberly? Had they recognised her? After all, they'd only seen a brief glimpse of her in the video he'd made, and that had only been shown to them the once. He'd just have to pray that the rangers hadn't put two and two together and got the right answer. He brought himself from his musings to see Kim looking down at her pendant. "When they were driving me here, this started glowing." She told Tommy. Her gaze flitted up to his before she looked down again. "I think we should start with them." She said quietly to finish. Tommy just nodded swiftly, unable to speak at that moment for fear of what he might blurt out. "So…" Kimberly trailed off.

"So…" He agreed before speaking up. "Well then, when are we leaving?" he asked. Kimberly shrugged.

"It's not just up to me anymore." Kim reminded him. "After all, you're also leading this team too. I can wait if you need to get anything together or anything…" She told him but Tommy just shook his head.

"I'll be fine. I'm a big boy now Kimberly." He told her harshly, watching her flinch slightly. "Let's just go and get those kids. After all, the quicker we stop this Ivan Ooze the quicker we can never speak to each other again." He pointed out, already heading for the door. Kim followed.

"I _am_ sorry Tommy, but, if you'd just let me explain…" She tried only for Tommy to turn a deaf ear. At her apology the hurt flared up inside of him again. "I never meant to hurt you like this…" She whispered.

"Yeah, well bad luck Kim, you did. And for the record, I'm not just hurt. I'm pissed." He snapped. "So you can save your apologies; they don't make a difference to me anymore." He added coldly. Kim hung her head in defeat. As they climbed into the black jeep he now owned, Kim tried to strike up conversation with him again, much to his annoyance. Couldn't she tell he was trying to block her out? Apparently not, and the worst part was he was beginning to want to listen to that apology she kept offering him. But, his pride refused to budge, the angry beast in his chest roaring in concurrence. So, he remained angry at her, even though a part of him kept saying that he'd never truly stay angry with her for long. He gunned the engine of the jeep, glad that driving would give him an excuse not to talk. Kim had fallen quiet again until she said one thing that made his heart lurch painfully.

"I…I missed you while I was gone." She murmured, staring at her lap. Tommy couldn't bring himself to respond to that. His stomach dropped as the drive continued. They were in for a difficult few weeks ahead.

**And I'm leaving it there! The next two stories I mentioned above should each be out within a week so be sure to check them out and let me know what you think! As always, a big thanks to everyone who's been reading and following the story, your support means the world to me. Also, if you want me to write a story for you, just PM me and let me know what you want writing and I'll see what I can do!**

**JJ x**


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